we love you tipper gore

on parenting and censorship

I am like the band Furnaceface. I love Tipper Gore.

She’s the wife of Al.

Tipper, in the 80’s wanted to censor music. She wanted to protect youth from obscene (poor) people who sang obscene (not middle class) lyrics. As a suburban kid with a love of punk rock, that skanky censoring POS was partially responsible for the foundation of the PMRC - the Parents Music Resource Centre. Why is this important?

The PMRC were responsible for the labels on records. You know, those black and white (lack of nuance) warnings of ‘PARENTAL ADVISORY EXPLICIT LYRICS’. Those labels were helpful. They told people like me which records to buy.

They told me about Nirvana. They told me about Suicidal Tendencies. They told me about NWA, The 2 Live Crew. The Beasties, Metallica, LL Cool J and RunDMC? They all had albums out before Tipper started her shrill calls for censorship.

As a dad?

I kinda have a bit of compassion for Tipper and her pack of Washington Wives. I was driving to the barn the other day with my fourt…